Intermediate Graphic w/Gen

Craig & Karl design studio

2012-01-20T17:15:00.006-05:00

http://www.craigandkarl.com/

Luca Barcellona Calligraphy

2012-01-15T04:56:00.001-05:00

Calligraphy Pages Pt. 2/4 from Luca Barcellona on Vimeo.

http://fontstruct.com/

2012-01-03T03:42:00.002-05:00

http://fontstruct.com/

thanks lisi

marico/maricar, austrailian design duo

2011-12-31T05:27:00.001-05:00

http://maricormaricar.com/

free retro fonts

2011-12-29T20:23:00.002-05:00

http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=934995676&gid=3621&type=member&item=81921258&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edemilked%2Ecom%2Ffree-retro-fonts%2F&urlhash=5GJO&goback=%2Egde_3621_member_81921258

get 'em now

another poster contest, this looks interesting

2011-12-21T19:36:00.003-05:00

http://somethingoutofsomething.tumblr.com/contest

Contestants are asked to post their submissions to the Tumblr or email them toEtgarKeret.DesignContest@fsgbooks.com. All submissions become the sole and exclusive property of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and may be posted online atwww.fsgbooks.com,www.bombsite.com, and/or www.pen.org. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends at 12:00pm EST on March 2, 2012. Participation open only to legal residents of the fifty United States or the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years old as of date of entry. Void outside of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. For Official Rules, prize descriptions and odds disclosure, go to http://somethingoutofsomething.tumblr.com/rules.

links. resources, inspiration

2011-12-05T20:36:00.001-05:00

http://parliamentofowlsdesign.com/ (design)
http://us.moo.com/ (business card printing)
http://themandatepress.com/ (letterpress business cards)
http://www.cb-smith.com/ (design)
http://www.shapeways.com/ (3D printing, prototypes)

fast track mag review, thanks to haniya rae

2011-12-01T10:59:00.001-05:00

http://vimeo.com/30842349

magazine video reading list by editorial designer Michael Bojkowski (http://linefeed.me/)--basically a preview/overview/critique of lots of different publications from the uk

ASSIGNMENT 11: PERSONAL IDENTITY

2011-11-28T14:51:00.001-05:00

Our last assignment is Personal Identity/Self Branding. It is your face, figuratively speaking, as you present yourself to the world as a designer.

Objectives:
1) Create a business card (2"x3.5" is a standard but you can definitely go wild with it!)
2) Create a web presence (can be a website that you’ve designed that contains all your work or just clean up your blogs).
3) Create a leave behind (an item that one would usually leave with the interviewer after an interview has been conducted. An item can vary in form but has to represent your personal design style and field of trade).
4) Create a PDF (has to have your work from this class presented in a well put together manner).

Process:
1) Do research on existing personal branding.
2) Create a brand for yourself that consists of objects listed in the objectives. Your brand has to represent the designer that you are... playful, serious, etc.
You are expected to have a finished personal identity and be ready to present by next class. You may bring in previous drafts if you find it necessary or relevant for discussion. Please post the progress on your personal blog and comment on each other’s work.

For inspiration please refer to:
steveattardo.com
youngjerks.com
muccadesign.com
pentagram.com
mothernewyork.com
buchanansmith.com
bestmadeco.com
paulsahre.com
basedesign.com
2x4.org

Movie poster cliches

2011-11-15T23:39:00.005-05:00

So this is sort of a follow up on the class talk about design formulas. As you see this is broken up into categories that are obvious. So look over, learn, take away what you think is necessary.

Thanks to Bedirhan for this awesome find!

ASSIGNMENT 9: BUCKET LIST/5 YEAR PLAN

2011-11-15T23:37:00.001-05:00

Make a list of ten things that you want to do in the next 5 years of your life. Then using no more then two typefaces and two colors make a typographic poster. No photos. Decorative vector elements are permitted but not in large quantities. The format can change if you find it suitable to your concept/ideas.

Objectives:

1) Create a subjective plan that would help you go through life.

2) List your priorities in chronological or personal importance order.

3) Communicate your plan with graphic elements and typography.

Process:

1) Make your 5 Year Plan and write it out on a piece of paper.

2) Envision the layout of the poster and make a rough sketch.

3) Do color, typography, and stylistic swipe.

4) Create numerous variations of the poster.

You are expected to have 1 finished poster and be ready to present by next class. You may bring in previous drafts if you find it necessary or relevant for discussion. Please post the progress on your personal blog and comment on each other’s work.

FOR INSPIRATION PLEASE REFER TO:

For color swipe and inspiration use: http://kuler.adobe.com/

Jin Suk Kim (to get from Gen—will be posted on the blog)

Peter Grundi website: http://www.grundini.com/

AIGA design archives: http://designarchives.aiga.org/#/home

Inspi for Assignment #8

2011-11-12T18:21:00.003-05:00

Arnold Worldwide:

Saatchi&Saatchi

Mariya Campwala

Brian Tri Nguyen

Chris Beesley

Monica Kim

Sara Mateo Tomas

Yours truly

ASSIGNMENT 8: 3 LOCAL EVENT POSTERS

2011-11-12T18:18:00.000-05:00

You need to create a PSA (public service announcement) in a form of a poster for a local event. You have to create a series of three posters which can be developed into a campaign later on if you wish. The topic is open to anything that interests you. Pick something that hasn’t been played out before i.e. “Don’t kill whales”, “People against oil spill”, etc. If you are passionate about a big topic like that, you run a risk of competing with a big crowd of people. An additional part of this project is development of some merchandise that can go along with the campaign, such as: t-shirts, hats, badges, stickers, mugs, etc.

Objectives:

1) Find an appealing and effective way to communicate your message.

2) Create awareness of the event/campaign in the way that would spark enthusiasm in those who come across it. i.e. take an action, come to the event, donate money, etc.

3) Think big when it comes to merchandising the event... sometimes it can get as far as attracting sponsors who would be able to help and advertise your cause.

Process:

1) Go out into your neighborhood and see what’s been going on while you were sitting in front of your computer and checking facebook.

2) Find local events or groups that need exposure.

3) Create 3 posters and collateral merchandising that could advertise the cause.

For this project you are allowed to use your type skills and incorporate color and graphics.

You are expected to have 3 finished posters and be ready to present by next class. You may bring in previous drafts if you find it necessary or relevant for discussion. Please post the progress on your personal blog and comment on each other’s work.

FOR INSPIRATION PLEASE REFER TO:

Behance network members portfolios: http://www.behance.net (Print design).

AIGA design archives: http://designarchives.aiga.org/#/home

The class blog: http://intermediatewithgen.blogspot.com/

(more can be found on the students blogs from previous years).

Some swipe & Inspi

2011-11-03T18:01:00.006-04:00

From Donghee Choo

From Nick Misani

From Dieline Archives

ASSIGNMENT 7: BRANDING & PACKAGING

2011-11-01T16:29:00.000-04:00

For this project you will be creating and developing a branding and packaging system, something that looks great in any designers’ portfolio. This project will create opportunities for those of you who love to be creative with type and color. These elements are key when it comes to attracting a potential buyer to your product because it will ensure a sale, profit for your client and another dollar in your pocket.

Objectives:

1) You should be able to tackle a big branding project because they happen very often in the design world.

2) You should be able to recognize what are the best solution for branding and packaging different products. i.e. lipstick and hammer packaging will not be branded in the same font with same graphic elements.

3) Ability to create custom typography and graphic elements is a huge bonus in this project. Anyone can type a brand name in Helvetica and leave it at that; but only a great designer can give that brand a unique flavor that would differentiate it from the next guy on the shelf.

Process:

1) Go to a thrift shop.

2) Pick up three items for under $25.

3) Research existing packaging and branding for chosen objects.

3) Package objects together as a set with the same branding, tag system, box, bag, wrapping tissue, sticker, etc.

You are expected to have a finished set done and be ready to present by next class. You may bring in previous drafts if you find it necessary or relevant for discussion. Please post the progress on your personal blog and comment on each other’s work.

FOR INSPIRATION PLEASE REFER TO:

Senior design blog: http://whitespacefpo.blogspot.com/ (student blogs from previous years).

The class blog: http://intermediatewithgen.blogspot.com/ (student blogs from previous years).

AIGA design archives: http://designarchives.aiga.org/#/home

ASSIGNMENT 6: iPHONE/iPAD APPLICATION

2011-10-26T16:58:00.001-04:00

Your assignment is to concept and design an iPhone or an iPad application. As we know the design world is developing fast and a lot of it is going digital. So it is vital to have variety in your portfolio which possibly might include digital applications for various devices.

Objectives:

1) Create an awareness of your chosen topic by creating an iPhone or an iPad application.

2) Get familiar with the digital medium, something that is very “in style” nowadays. It is in demand by a lot of employers and gets a positive reaction when presented in designers’ portfolios.

3) Give your portfolio versatility.

4) Broaden your field of trade outside of just print.

Process:

1) Narrow down your topic.

2) Do in depth research on the chosen topic. Think of it as becoming an expert in something in order to try to explain it to others.

3) Gather swipe from iPhone app library, and your own iPhone. See what interests you, what grabs your attention, what works and what doesn’t.

4) Create your own application and a navigational wire frame.

You are expected to have a finished application design along with a wire frame done and be ready to present by next class. You may bring in previous drafts if you find it necessary or relevant for discussion. Please post the progress on your personal blog and comment on each other’s work.

FOR INSPIRATION PLEASE REFER TO:

Senior design blog: http://whitespacefpo.blogspot.com/ (student blogs from previous years).

The class blog: http://intermediatewithgen.blogspot.com/ (student blogs from previous years).

AIGA design archives: http://designarchives.aiga.org/#/home

Swipe and inspi

2011-10-23T15:09:00.002-04:00

Artflakes

2011-10-18T16:10:00.003-04:00

This is a Berlin based company that represents artists and designers from all over the world.

Point of the website is to sell high quality prints of people's work.

Our interest in this website is all the swipe and inspiration we can gather from it!

Tons of good stuff... enjoy!

ASSIGNMENT 5: INFOGRAPHIC

2011-10-18T13:03:00.001-04:00

You are creating an information graphic. Everything including topic, typography, colors, style, etc, is all up to you. The only constant is that your finished piece has to represent some quantitative information and represent data gathered by you.

Objectives:
1) Your ability to analyze and interpret data.
2) Your ability to find graphic solutions for quantitative information.
3) Your ability to successfully communicate information.

Process:
1. Pick a subject (can be anything that comes to your head).
2. Do a research on the selected topic, gather data that you can later lay out.
Ex. you can send out a survey via surveymonkey.com which is completely anonymous. You can ask up to 10 questions and get Yes and No answers or you can have people answer in complete sentences, up to you).
4. FInd appropriate swipe.
3. Pick your layout, set up, organization of data.
4. Pick your colors.
5. Develop a set of icons that would represent your data.

You are expected to have a finished infographic and be ready to present by next class. You may bring in previous drafts if you find it necessary or relevant for discussion. Please post the progress on your personal blog and comment on each other’s work.

FOR INSPIRATION PLEASE REFER TO:
Info. Graphics: www.visualcomplexity.com
Website of Nicholas Felton: www.feltron.com
Good Magazine: http://www.flickr.com/photos/goodmagazine/sets/72157618896371005/
Peter Grundi: www.grundini.com
Always With Honor: www.alwayswithhonor.com

More inspiration

2011-10-14T15:51:00.001-04:00

Janet Froelich

The New York Time Magazine

Creative Director Janet Froelich

Art Director Arem Duplessis

Designer Nancy Harris Rouemy

Photographer Song Chao

Director of Photography Kathy Ryan

Editor-In-Chief Gerry Marzorati

Dirk Barnett

Aleksey Brodovich

ABC Layouts

2011-10-14T15:50:00.001-04:00

A layout (one page type one page image)

B layout (image exceeds the gutter and type on the next page)

C Layout ( Image fills up the whole spread)

These 3 different layouts were designed by Oslo, Norway and Minneapolis, USA based creative team Non-Format for New York Times Style Magazine.
Designed in the same style sense these feature opener spreads are good examples of basic A-B-C layouts.

Details:
typeface: Giorgio Harmony
–
client: The New York Times
–
Typeface commissioned for
T Magazine’s feature headlines.
Features art direction & design
by Christopher Martinez
–
Togaland photography by Fabien Baron.
Gallerina photography by Paolo Roversi.
Gangsta Wrap photography by Jean-Baptiste Mondino.

The Do’s And Don’ts Of Infographic Design

2011-10-14T15:17:00.001-04:00

Since the dawn of the Internet, the demand for good design has continued to skyrocket. From Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 and beyond, designers have remained on their toes as they define the trends and expectations of our online universe. The Internet is a great designer’s playground, and online businesses are growing more and more appreciative of what can be gained from a bit of well-executed eye candy. Over the past two years, this fact has become the backbone of a growing trend in online marketing: the infographic.

Infographics are visual representations of information, or “data viz” as the cool kids call it these days. The term “data viz” comes from “data visualization,” which implies that sets of data will be displayed in a unique way that can be seen, rather than read. This visualization should not be left up to interpretation, it should instead be designed in a way that provides a universal conclusion for all viewers. In the simplest terms, infographics are not too different than the charts and graphs that programs like Excel have been spitting out for years.

Of course, just as Web 2.0 changed 1.0, today’s infographics are far more eye-catching than simple pie charts and bar graphs. Today, infographics compile many different data visualizations into one cohesive piece of “eye candy.” They have evolved with design trends, received some creative facelifts, and the Internet is now getting filled with interesting information delivered in enthralling ways.

While some design trends come and go, infographics are here to stay. With brands like USA Today, The New York Times and Google and even President Obama getting behind them, infographics are becoming a powerful tool for disseminating huge amounts of information to the masses. Companies large and small are using infographics to build their brands, educate their audience and optimize their search engine ranking through link-building. This is why learning how to design a good infographic is a must, and avoiding the common pitfalls of infographic design could mean the difference between landing a big client and losing them entirely.

Wrapping Your Mind Around Data Viz

Designing an infographic is not the same as designing a website, flier, brochure, etc. Even some of the best designers, with portfolios that would make you drool, cannot execute an effective infographic design. Creating infographics is a challenge and requires a mindset that does not come naturally to everyone. But that mindset can be gained through practice and by sticking to certain standards, the most important of which is to respect and understand data viz. Here are some simple rules to follow when wrapping your mind around proper data viz.

Show, Don’t Tell

A rule of cinema is to show, don’t tell. The same holds true for infographic design. The foundation of any good infographic is data viz. As an infographic designer, you may or may not determine the concept and compile all of the research for the final design, but either way you are responsible for turning that information into a visually stimulating, cohesive design that tells a story and that doesn’t miss a single opportunity to visualize data. Take this portion of an infographic about Twitter by ViralMS as an example:

This Twitter infographic writes out the data, rather than visualizing it.

What’s wrong with this infographic? It breaks the first rule right out of the gate. When you have an opportunity to display information visually, take it. Here, the tweets per second could have at least been shown in a bar graph. This would enable someone to quickly look at this section and see what’s going on; by seeing the various heights of the bars, the eye could have quickly gauged the differences in tweets per second per event without having to read anything.

If you’re having trouble adhering to this rule, try keeping all of your text on one layer of your AI file (excluding text inside charts and graphs). Every once in a while, turn off the text layer and see whether the infographic still makes sense. If there isn’t any data viz, or if a bunch of pictures are missing context, then you are doing too much telling and not enough showing.

If the Client Wanted an Excel Chart, They Wouldn’t Need You

It might sound harsh, but it’s true. If infographics were as simple as laying out a bunch of standard charts and graphs on a page, then clients would not need to search out great designers. Many tools are online that can create colorful pie charts, line graphs and bar graphs, so you have to take things to the next level for your design to stand out. Taking the data from above, which of the two graphs below do you think would make a client happier?

Two ways to visualize the data from the Twitter example above.

If you answered Graph B, you’re catching on. Of course, not all data lends itself to creative and unique graphs. Graph A might work very well if the rest of the infographic shared a similar aesthetic. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and produce a traditional bar graph or pie chart; nevertheless, always consider ways to dress it up, as in the examples below:

Ways to dress up simple graphs for an infographic.

Typography Should Not Be a Crutch

Typography can make or break a design, but it should not be the solution to a data viz problem. More often than not, designers begin an infographic with a great deal of energy and excitement, but they lose steam fast as they continue down the page. This often leads to quick decisions and poor solutions, like using typography to show off a big number instead of visualizing it in some way. Here’s an example:

TravelMatch’s infographic highlights too much.

Whenever I see this, I’m reminded of the “Where’s the beef?” ad campaign, and I think, “Where’s the data viz?” Although Sketch Rockwell is one of my all-time favorite fonts, this is a perfect example of relying too much on typography.

Any time a research number is provided to you for an infographic, ask yourself how it can be visualized. Percentages can always be visualized with creative pie charts; numerical values in a set can usually be turned into a unique bar graph; and when numbers don’t fit on a consistent scale, you might be able to visualize them in a diagram. Here is another way the above data could have been visualized:

An example of how to visualize the TravelMatch data, rather than relying on typography.

Typography Has Its Place

All that being said, typography does have its uses, which should not be ignored when creating an infographic. Most of the time, you will want to focus your creative typographical energies on titles and headings. The title of the infographic is a perfect opportunity to use a fun and eye-catching font and to give it a treatment that fits the theme or topic. Just make sure the title isn’t so distracting that it takes away from the reason we are looking at the infographic in the first place. The truth of the matter is that some infographic topics are boring, but the right title design can engage people enough to scroll through.

Similarly, headings help to break up an infographic and make the data easier to take in, giving you another chance to let your font-nerd flag fly.

The title of an infographic is your chance to draw attention to the design.

Organization And Storyline

Organizing an infographic in a way that makes sense and that keeps the viewer interested is not always easy, but it’s part of the job for most infographic designers. Usually, you will be given a lot of data and will need to create a visual story out of it. This can be challenging at first, but you can follow some general rules to make things easier.

Wireframe the Infographic

Wireframing an infographic enables you to work out a storyboard and layout for the design. You may have an idea of the story you want to tell, but as you start laying things out, you might hit a wall and have to start over. Having to reorganize after having already done a lot of the design is incredibly frustrating. Avoid this by setting up your storyline at the start to determine what data to show and how. Set aside an hour to sketch things out and make sure it all makes sense. This will also help to ensure that the color palette you will choose drives attention to the important points and keeps the eye flowing down the page.

Think Outside the Box

As you wireframe the infographic, you will identify section breaks that help to tell the story. Most infographics online have a vertical flow, in which each section has a heading to distinguish it from the last. This gets boring fast. Organizing the data and sectioning off information without relying entirely on headings and color breaks is a good way to break the monotony.

For instance, rather than going for a typical one-column layout, you could use two columns in certain parts. You could also break up sections with borders, with backgrounds of different shapes or give the entire design a road or path theme. Here’s some outside the box layouts to get your creative juices flowing:

There are many unique ways to lay out an infographic that will keep the viewer engaged.

Tell a Story

All good stories have a beginning, middle and end. Infographics deserve the same treatment. At the beginning of the infographic, introduce the problem or thesis. From there, back it up with data. Finally, end the infographic with a conclusion.

Visualize the Hook

Every good infographic has a hook or primary take-away that makes the viewer say “A-ha!” As a designer, you should make this hook the focal point of the design if at all possible. Placing the hook at either the center or very end of the infographic is usually best, so that it grabs more attention. Give the most important information the most visual weight, so that viewers know what to take away. Here are some examples of well visualized hooks:

Hooks should either be in the center, beginning, or end of the infographic and need the greatest visual emphasis.

Cleaning Things Up With Color

The difference a color palette can make is amazing, especially in the world of infographics. The right palette can help organize an infographic, evangelize the brand, reinforce the topic and more. The wrong palette can turn a great topic into an eyesore, harm the brand’s image and convey the wrong message. Here are some tips to consider when choosing colors for your infographic.

Make It Universal

In Web design, it’s always important to choose a palette that fits the theme of the website and that is neutral enough for a diverse group of visitors. Because infographics are primarily shared online, picking the right palette for an array of visitors is equally important. You must also consider what looks good online.

For instance, dominant dark colors and neons typically do not translate well on infographics; neon on black can be hard to read, and if there is a lot of data, taking it all in will be a challenge. Also, avoid white as a background whenever possible. Infographics are often shared on multiple websites and blogs, most of which have white backgrounds. If your infographic’s background is also white, then deciphering where it begins and ends will be difficult.

A Three-Color Palette Is Easy on the Eyes

With all of the data that goes into an infographic, make sure that the reader’s eye easily flows down the page; the wrong color palette can be a big barrier to this. Choose a palette that doesn’t attack the senses. And consider doing this before you start designing, because it will help you determine how to visualize the various elements.

If picking a color palette is hard for you, stick to the rule of three. Choose three primary colors. Of the three, one should be the background color (usually the lightest of the three), and the other two should break up the sections. If you need to add other colors, use shades of the three main colors. This will keep the palette cohesive and calming, rather than jarring.

Use the Tools at Your Disposal

When picking colors, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. A number of great websites out there will help you choose the right palette for your infographic. Adobe’s Kuler offers fresh themes and a searchable database, as well as an easy tool to adjust the palette that you’re interested in. One issue with Kuler is that all of the palettes have five colors, and the colors are sometimes from completely different families, rather than shades of a few primary colors, so finding the right palette can be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Another color-picking tool is COLOURlovers. This database is easier to search through: it breaks palettes into different themes and can be sorted by favorites. While most of the palettes also consist of five colors, the colors are not always given equal weight; instead, the tool suggests which should be dominant. Here are some good and bad palettes for infographics:

Final Thoughts

While these standards are important to consider for most infographic designs, sometimes an infographic comes along that breaks all of these rules and still succeeds immensely. In the end, clients like “eye candy” and designs that “pop!” While such terms are subjective (and annoying to most designers), we all know a great infographic design when we see one, and your clients do, too. Use these rules to guide you into the infographic realm, but create your own techniques and standards after you’ve gained some experience.

ASSIGNMENT 4: 3 FEATURE OPENERS

2011-10-11T22:56:00.000-04:00

Create three feature spreads for three different existing magazines. The objective is to feature typography skills in an editorial format. Your art direction skills are also important.

1) Choose your magazines.

2) Identify target audience: age, gender, locale, income, and college.

3) Choose your topics. Each should make sense in the context of the three different magazines.

4) Create mood boards of image and typography swipe for each of three spreads.

5) Narrow down to three distinct visual directions.

6) Create numerous variations for each.

a. Use the three feature spread formats discussed in class:

i. “A” picture on one page, text on the other page.

ii. “B” picture bleeds across the spread, text in the remaining space

(can also go on the image).

iii. “C” full bleed image across spread, text on top of the image.

You are expected to have three finished layouts with variations. Print to size. Include imagery, type, color and stylistic swipe research. Be prepared to introduce yourself and present your work. You may bring in previous drafts if you find it necessary or relevant for discussion. Please post your progress on your personal blog and comment on each other’s work.

FOR INSPIRATION PLEASE REFER TO:

The Society of Publication Designers website: http://www.spd.org/

Priest and Grace website: http://www.priestandgrace.com/#/work

Editorial class blog: http://editdesign101.blogspot.com/

Fabien Baron

Robert Priest

Fred Woodward

Janet Froelich

Alexey Brodovitch

TODAY'S CLASS!!!

2011-10-10T13:49:00.000-04:00

Hey Ya'll

Gen is not able to come in today because of an accident on i80. She's been trying to leave Pennsylvania since 11am and no luck.

Gen will be available to you guys through email all day today so you can email her with any questions.

I can come in the regular time today in case some of you want feedback or one on one time. Please bring in print outs or laptops because I doubt we'll have a projector in class.

Let me know what you guys want to do.

If no one replies to this I assume no one will be coming in to class.

You can always email me and Gen for feedback on your work.

There should be a makeup class next week.

cheers

PSA in a form of a game/website

2011-10-09T00:31:00.001-04:00

Try this out and you'll learn a lot... not about design or typography but about life... and that's much more important.

http://www.playspent.org/

The Kerning game

2011-10-08T15:11:00.003-04:00

lets you practice your kerning skills and teaches you how to improve

really awesome!

enjoy http://type.method.ac/

(thanks Bedirhan)

IdN archives

2011-10-07T16:01:00.000-04:00

an amazing place to look for inspiration

Milan Nedved

2011-10-07T14:32:00.001-04:00

http://www.milann.info/

VISUALADVICE™

2011-10-07T14:16:00.004-04:00

Julien De Repentigny
Graphic Design/Art Direction

Studio: TAF

2011-10-07T13:21:00.003-04:00

Gabriella Gustafson and Mattias Ståhlbom have run the architecture and design studio TAF in Stockholm, Sweden since 2002. TAF’s aim is to make ordinary life less ordinary through subtle but effective changes in how products and architecture appear and function. A recurrent departure point in TAF projects is that everyday objects by their very commonness can be made uncommon.

Anamorphic Typography

2011-10-06T16:07:00.000-04:00

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Anamorphic-Typography/1091883
An exploration of the potential and existing relationship between architecture and typography
This project evolved out of a brief we had set ourselves as part of the assessment for our Foundation Degree course at Chelsea College of Art & Design. From initially looking into the existing and possible relationship between graphic design and architecture we discovered the process of anamorphosis as used by the fine artist Felice Varini.
After researching and testing the process in our studio we began to search for an ideal architectural space within our college buildings to execute our installation in. When planning an anamorphic installation is it important to consider that to maximise the fracturing of the design, it is best to try and touch as many plains as possible. We eventually decided to carry out our installation in a corridor of our college (as shown in the images) using the long walls to maximise the distortion of the letterforms. All of our work is site specific and we spend as long as possible discussing a choosing the perfect architectural locations for our works.
We initially chose the phrase "It's more than just print" to challenge the conventional idea that graphic design can only be realised in 2 dimensions (a poster, business card or magazine etc). The phrase is also a comment on the technique as when viewed from the right viewpoint, the design looks as though it is flat on a 2D plain.

For our second installation we chose the phrase “it’s a point of view” as a comment on the process of anamorphosis where the design only becomes fully legible when viewed from a specific point of view. This piece was also a comment on the the subjective nature of good design, given it’s placement in our end of year exhibition featuring works by all of our peers.

Our work encourages the viewer to walk into and around typography, an immersive experience considering that their usual relationship with type would normally be realised on a two dimensional surface be it printed or computerised. Being able to appreciate it physically painted onto walls of buildings which the viewers are used to interacting with every day draws attention to the beauty of typography and at same time highlighting the architectural forms that it adorns.

Awesome book design

2011-10-06T14:38:00.002-04:00

40 Beautiful Free Fonts For Creating Attractive Typography Headlines

2011-10-06T14:14:00.002-04:00

A sweet collection of carefully handpicked high quality free fonts, which are all suitable to be used for creating attractive typography headlines which will attract people’s attention.

A collection of amazing fonts which are suitable and perfect for web design projects as well print based projects. There is a misconception by designers that free fonts are usually cheap looking and cannot be used in order to create a good design, but what designers don’t realise is that there is the odd good free font it just takes time in order to find the perfects ones. This is the exact purpose of this article to be bookmarked by designers and to referred to in the future when working on a design projects where money may be tight and the client can’t afford to splash out on big expensive fonts. This post will be a handy resource for designers searching high quality good free fonts.

1. Kilogram

2. Museo

3. Caprica

4. Advent

5. Franchise

6. Chunk

7. Avant Garde

8. Anivers

9. League Gothic

10. Bebas

11. Illegal Curves Font

12. attempa

13. Rounded Blocks

14. Evolution

15. Molot

16. Delicious

17. MEgalopolis Extra

18. Parallello Font

19. Soopafresh

20. Fertigo Pro

21. Tallys

22. PT San

23. Mentone

24. Jura

25. Forque

26. Divalo

27. Suede Font

28. Gnuolane

29. Telegrafico

30. Macro

31. Kardon

32. FILE™ free font

33. Otari

34. Fertigo

35. Nevis

36. Blackout

37. Quick Sand

38. Distant Galaxy

39. Cleopatra

40. Rocko

Nonsensical Infographics by Chad Hagen

2011-10-06T13:40:00.001-04:00

pretty but pointless

A good place to look

2011-10-05T18:00:00.001-04:00

Jen Gaily found this awesome link with a list of phobias http://phobialist.com/

not saying it's designed well but it's definitely informative.

enjoy

Most Popular Infographics

2011-10-05T17:28:00.001-04:00

Thank a type designer

2011-10-04T14:35:00.002-04:00

(once again, thanks Bedirhan :)

What if every designer defaulted to those ubiquitous, standard fonts that we all find stock on our computers? Thank a type designer who doesn’t settle for just “standard” but knows how to choose, create, or modify an existing typeface to be a memorable and expressive brand mark.

Cristiana Couceiro

2011-10-03T18:42:00.002-04:00

http://www.cristianacouceiro.com/

Awesome Exhibits at MoMA

2011-10-01T15:00:00.003-04:00

First exhibit in on information and communication design. Really awesome! Here's the link to the website http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2011/talktome/objects/146362/, but it's great in person too. For those of you who are interested in website design... check out how scrolling works on this website... sorta blew my mind.

And another exhibit that I really liked is something you might use for the type history project. The exhibit is on typefaces and how to use them. Also, how to distort them and make them your own... fun! http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1152

Hall of Femmes: The Female Icons of Graphic Design

2011-09-30T16:54:00.000-04:00

(thanks Bedirhan)

Four self-made women who shaped the course and voice of modern graphic design.

After spending some time in the creative industry, Swedish design duo Hjärta Smärta (“Heart Pain”) observed that there weren’t nearly enough female design role models at the forefront of our cultural awareness. So they started Hall of Femmes, an online project (alas, in Swedish) highlighting female designers and art directors who have significantly influenced creative culture. In 2009, the pair traveled to New York to interview some of these design icons as the basis for a series of books and soon thereafter they published four of these volumes honoring female creative legends.

A few years ago, we traveled to New York to meet up with a few iconic female graphic designers. We wanted to connect with women whose successes we could aspire to. With the book series HoF, we direct attention to these unsung heroines.” ~ Angela and Samira, Hjärta Smärta

Hall of Femmes: Lillian Bassman tells the story of one of the first art directors, who got her start as an assistant to Alexey Brodovitch at Harper’s Bazaar during the golden age of the American magazines in the late 1940s. In 1945, Bassman became art director for the newly launched Junior Bazaar, a fashion magazine focused on teenagers that functioned as a creative lab for up-and-coming creatives. The magazine folded just three years later, but the creatively agile Bassman taught herself photography and became one of Harper’s Bazaars’ most sought-after photographers. At 94 today, she still works every day.

Hall of Femmes: Carin Goldberg highlights the legacy of postmodernist book designer who earned the prestigious AIGA Gold Medal for lifetime achievement in 2009. Her career began in the 1970s as a designer at CBS Television and CBS Records, an era that expected you to be, as Goldberg puts it, “a cool, irreverent, experimental, hungry, talented smart-ass”. In the 1980s, she founded her own firm, Carin Goldberg Design, where she heads to this day. Over the past three decades, Goldberg has designed more than 1000 books for every iconic publishing house and has worked with legends like Madonna and Steve Reich, as well as Brain Pickings favorites Kurt Vonnegut and Susan Sontag.

Hall of Femmes: Ruth Ansel highlights one of the greatest magazine designers of all time, who over the past half-century has been shaping the visual aesthetic of some of the most influential magazines of our time as a visionary art director — Harper’s Bazaar in the 1960s, The New York Times Magazine in the 1970s, Vanity Fair in the 1980s, and running her own design studio since the 1990s. She has collaborated with nearly every icon of magazine publishing — Diana Vreeland, Richard Avedon, Annie Leibowitz, Bruce Weber, Tina Brown, and many more.In her 70s, answer remains active and creatively restless as ever.

The most recent in the series, Hall of Femmes: Paula Scher, covers one of my personal heroes, whose views on combinatorial creativity capture the founding ethos of Brain Pickings with remarkable eloquence. Scher began her graphic design career as a rebellious record cover art director at both Atlantic and CBS Records in the 1970s, where her hate for the then-ubiquitous Helvetica led her to create some of the most innovative and memorable typography of all time, which helped define the visual voice of New York City. In 1991, she joined iconic design firm Pentagram as a partner. Her stunning typographic maps have become one of the most celebrated feats of creative cartography. Her identity and branding systems have helped shape iconic cultural institutions and brands like Bloomberg, Coca-Cola, the Metropolitan Opera, the MoMA, and Citi. In 2001, Scher earned the coveted AIGA Medal for her contributions to graphic design. In 2006, she was awarded the Type Directors Club Medal. At 63, Scher remains a principal at Pentagram and teaches at New York’s School of Visual Arts.

Periodic table of typefaces

2011-09-30T16:30:00.007-04:00

So was looking through your posts... and found this periodic table of typefaces on Jen Gaily's blog...

i've stumbled onto it myself couple years ago and found it very useful

so Jen, thanks for posting and reminding me!

http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/kindle2/Periodic_Table_of_Typefaces_large.jpg

List of type foundries and other things

2011-09-30T14:51:00.000-04:00

http://www.nikolaysaveliev.com/yearbook.html

http://www.typecuts.com/fonts.php

http://www.colophon-foundry.org/fonts

http://processtypefoundry.com/

http://www.radimpesko.com/

https://www.playtype.com/browse

http://metahaven.net/Metahaven/Metahaven.html

http://www.google.com/search?q=metahaven&hl=en&biw=1713&bih=1166&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=fxKFTvybDsSp8AOH-9xT&sqi=2&ved=0CEwQsAQ

http://www.counterspace.net/index.php?/publications/print-magazine/

http://www.handbuiltstudio.com/

http://edfella.com/

http://willemhenrilucas.com/

http://www.daveywhitcraft.com/

http://www.gailstudio.com/

http://www.stripesf.com/

http://lust.nl/

http://www.hansje.net/#1883919/Hansje-van-Halem-Graphic-Design

http://www.niessendevries.nl/

http://www.grootens.nl/

TEXTURES

2011-09-29T20:45:00.002-04:00

So it came to my attention that a lot of you might want to use textures in your type history posters to give them more of a weathered look.

It's a quick and easy way to give your work more swag, if you will.

Depending on color and patterning of textures you can get different results.

Some places I go to if I'm looking for textures:

1. http://freestocktextures.com/

2. http://zentextures.com/

3. or you can always scavenge something, draw, paint and then scan in and use.

have fun!

Intermediate Graphic w/Gen

Craig & Karl design studio

Luca Barcellona Calligraphy

http://fontstruct.com/

marico/maricar, austrailian design duo

free retro fonts

another poster contest, this looks interesting

links. resources, inspiration

fast track mag review, thanks to haniya rae

ASSIGNMENT 11: PERSONAL IDENTITY

Movie poster cliches

ASSIGNMENT 9: BUCKET LIST/5 YEAR PLAN

Inspi for Assignment #8

ASSIGNMENT 8: 3 LOCAL EVENT POSTERS

Some swipe & Inspi

ASSIGNMENT 7: BRANDING & PACKAGING

ASSIGNMENT 6: iPHONE/iPAD APPLICATION

Swipe and inspi

Artflakes

ASSIGNMENT 5: INFOGRAPHIC

More inspiration

ABC Layouts

The Do’s And Don’ts Of Infographic Design

Wrapping Your Mind Around Data Viz

Show, Don’t Tell

If the Client Wanted an Excel Chart, They Wouldn’t Need You

Typography Should Not Be a Crutch

Typography Has Its Place

Organization And Storyline

Wireframe the Infographic

Think Outside the Box

Tell a Story

Visualize the Hook

Cleaning Things Up With Color

Make It Universal

A Three-Color Palette Is Easy on the Eyes

Use the Tools at Your Disposal

Final Thoughts

ASSIGNMENT 4: 3 FEATURE OPENERS

TODAY'S CLASS!!!

PSA in a form of a game/website

The Kerning game

﻿IdN archives

Milan Nedved

VISUALADVICE™

Studio: TAF

Anamorphic Typography

Awesome book design

40 Beautiful Free Fonts For Creating Attractive Typography Headlines

1. Kilogram

2. Museo

3. Caprica

Nonsensical Infographics by Chad Hagen

A good place to look

Most Popular Infographics

Thank a type designer

Cristiana Couceiro

Awesome Exhibits at MoMA

Hall of Femmes: The Female Icons of Graphic Design

(thanks Bedirhan)

Four self-made women who shaped the course and voice of modern graphic design.

Periodic table of typefaces

List of type foundries and other things

TEXTURES

IdN archives